Food preparation activities, such as boiling, simmering, Sous Vide cooking, blending, mixing, and the like, frequently produce splattering and other messes from the food inadvertently exiting food preparation vessels during the activities. Sous Vide cooking is cooking at very controlled temperatures (below boiling) with the food usually paced in a container, most often a bag, and the heating medium is usually water. When Sous Vide cooking, evaporation of the water is the number one concern with long cooking times. As the cooking water evaporates it needs to be replaced. Sous Vide cooking usually takes over one hour and commonly it may be for two or more hours. Additionally, it is not uncommon for cooking times to include four, six, and over twenty-four hours. The constant need to check and maintain water in the cooking vessel can be troublesome. Not enough water can ruin the slow cooking process, while adding replacing water in the cooking vessel can alter the temperature of the water and food in the cooking vessel. It is necessary to efficiently maintaining a less variable temperature within the cooking vessel (heat loss).
While lids and covers for pots, pans, and other cooking vessels are known in the art, they are generally only able to be used to accomplish one type of activity. For example, a lid for a cooking vessel that may be used to prevent splattering during cooking may inhibit the ability of the use of preparation apparatuses such as immersion blenders, circulation devices, immersion cookers, and the like. Conversely, a cover for a food preparation vessel that may be used to prevent splattering during mixing or blending may be unable to withstand heat from cooking.
Therefore a need exists for a novel cooking vessel cover device which governs access to the contents of a cooking vessel while allowing the cooking vessel to be used with food preparation apparatuses. Finally, a need exists for a novel cooking vessel cover device which is configured to prevent evaporation of water during Sous Vide cooking while allowing food preparation apparatuses to be used during the food preparation or cooking process.